Starting to skid.
The Calgary Flames (1–3–0) dropped their third straight game Tuesday night, falling 4–2 to the Vegas Golden Knights (2–0–2) at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary built a 2–0 lead early but couldn’t hold off a Vegas rally that saw the defending champs score four unanswered goals.
Mikael Backlund opened the scoring with his first of the season, finishing off a slick setup from MacKenzie Weegar, who disguised his slap pass perfectly to freeze Adin Hill. Blake Coleman added another late in the first, jumping on a turnover and wiring a shot over Hill’s shoulder to make it 2–0.
But Vegas — as they’ve done all season — stormed back. Jack Eichel scored twice, Kaedan Korczak added another from the slot, and Tomas Hertl sealed it with an empty-netter as the Golden Knights continued their early-season trend of comeback victories.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
The trio of Matt Coronato, Nazem Kadri, and Matvei Gridin was one of the Flames’ bright spots. The line was active all night, driving play with speed and creativity. Kadri’s veteran poise blended nicely with Coronato’s offensive instincts and Gridin’s youthful energy, giving Calgary consistent offensive-zone time.
It’s becoming a worrying pattern — the inability to protect leads. The Flames have now surrendered multiple third-period goals in three straight games: four to the Vancouver Canucks, two to the St. Louis Blues, and another two against Vegas. Tuesday’s collapse came despite a strong start and a solid first 40 minutes. Until Calgary can lock things down defensively in crunch time, wins will continue to slip away.
Connor Zary is currently being tested in a fourth-line centre role — not a natural fit for his offensive skillset. Still, he was taking offensive-zone draws late in the game, suggesting the coaching staff is pushing him to take big offensive draws while also rounding out his defensive game. It’s a learning curve for the young forward, but one that could pay dividends if he transitions into a full-time top-six centre down the road.
The Flames will look to rebound quickly as they face the Utah Mammoth tomorrow night.
